Swollen face: why does the face swell and what to do?

Many people are often disturbed by the problem that they find in their mornings in their mirror - a swollen face. This problem cannot be covered up with clothes or covered with tonal cream, it must be dealt with, and for this it is important to know the cause of this condition.

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Causes of facial swelling

We list the main causes of swelling of the face:

• the person most often swells due to fluid retention;
• diseases of the cardiovascular and urinary system, liver pathologies, endocrine disorders;
• vitamin deficiency, metabolic disorders;
• improper diets, prolonged fasting, lack of sleep, overwork;
• evening swelling, as a rule, are of heart origin;
• morning edema often signals kidney problems;
• reception of alcoholic beverages on the eve, or alcohol abuse in general;
• the allergic nature of the swelling (reaction to drugs, food, animals);
• blood clots or narrowing of the superior vena cava;
• infectious lesions of the nasopharynx, oral cavity;
• disruption of the thyroid gland;
• insufficient blood supply to the head during sleep due to an improperly selected pillow or unnatural sleeping posture;
• the presence of chronic hypertension, the development of hypertensive crisis;
• misuse or abuse of cosmetics.

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Why does the face swell?

To successfully combat this unpleasant state, it is necessary to understand why the face is swollen.

Puffiness of facial tissues is a consequence of the water imbalance of the body, which occurs with irrational and irregular nutrition, and can also be a manifestation of more serious diseases when the process of excretion of consumed fluid is disturbed.

The face swells for many reasons, manifesting itself more in the morning or in the evening, especially in the hot period.

Swelling can be a consequence of renal and cardiovascular pathologies, hormonal disorder, often occurs in persons who consume alcohol, in pregnant women, as well as in the premenstrual and climacteric period. Metabolic disorders, in particular, electrolyte metabolism, provoked by irregular and unbalanced nutrition, prolonged starvation, overworking of the body, contribute to the appearance of swelling on the face.

Regular appearance of swelling of the face for no apparent reason is a serious reason for going to the doctor.

Why in the morning sometimes there is a swollen face?

If the swelling in the morning appear constantly, you should look for provoking factors causing their appearance. Recall, for example, how much liquid you use at night: perhaps you like to have an evening tea party, or you can have a hearty dinner with alcohol. In such situations, the appearance of swelling on the face is inevitable.

It is also important what kind of food you eat in the late afternoon: the abuse of salty and spicy foods (smoked products, herring, chips, dried fish, chili pepper) causes excessive accumulation of fluid in the tissues, and swelling in the morning is provided to you.

Excessive emotionality, tearfulness, and poor sleep also contribute to the phenomena of the morning swelling of the face.

The use of cosmetic creams, masks, lotions just before bedtime cause a rush of blood to the delicate facial tissues and, as a result, the same morning edema. It should be noted that some cosmetic preparations may also provoke the development of allergic manifestations, which, in addition to the swelling of the face, are characterized by itching and redness of the skin.

A swollen face in the morning can be associated with an uncomfortable and uncomfortable posture of a sleeping person, which provokes stagnation of blood and lymph, worsens the processes of outflow and drainage of fluid from the facial tissues. The inadequate position of the head, the pillow too high and hard, the heat and the heat in the room, the location of the heaters too close to the head of the bed — all contribute to the appearance of swelling of the face at the time of waking up.

Try to retool your place to sleep: change the pillow to a softer and less high (some try to do without a pillow at all), make sure that the length of the bed corresponds to your height. Move the head of the bed away from the existing heating devices (batteries, fireplaces, heaters), before going to bed carefully ventilate the room in which you sleep.

Also, do not forget that sleep must be complete: insomnia and lack of sleep, chronic fatigue will immediately affect your appearance. Get ready for bed thoroughly, do not drink a lot of liquid at night, especially coffee, strong tea and alcoholic beverages.

Why does the face swell after alcohol?

Acceptance of alcoholic beverages, even in moderate quantities, is a fairly large load on the kidneys, liver and cardiovascular system. This is a kind of intoxication of the organism, in which many metabolic processes and vital functions fail. Why does the face swell after alcohol? Because the flow of almost all processes in the body, especially the urinary and vascular systems, is disturbed, the acid-base balance, ionic balance suffers, a significant dehydration of the body begins, to which he reacts with increased accumulation of fluid in the tissues.

Fighting the swelling of the face after drinking alcohol will be unsuccessful without eliminating the main cause of the swelling - regular alcohol consumption.

Facial swelling and other local edema caused by exposure to ethyl alcohol in different concentrations can be alleviated after the restoration of the functional ability of all major body systems, normalization of impaired metabolic processes.

A swollen face is typical for almost all patients who have been constantly taking alcoholic beverages for a long time. This is due to functional disorders of the renal microcirculation, malfunction of electrolyte and protein exchanges, difficulties in the liver. Such swelling usually subsides only 10-12 days after the cessation of alcohol intake. In chronic alcoholics, who have been drinking alcohol for several years, a swollen face may last a lifetime.

In general, with the right adequate approach, it is necessary not only to get rid of the symptom of swelling of the face, but to restore first of all those metabolic disturbances and electrolyte balance, which were provoked by prolonged use of alcoholic beverages.

Absolute rejection of alcohol, normalization of nutrition and good sleep, replenishment of vitamins, trace elements, amino acids lost by the body - these are the main aspects of the fight against withdrawal syndrome, a characteristic feature of which is a swollen face.

Why do alcoholics face swell?

The swelling of the face in alcoholics becomes pronounced and permanent with chronic dependence on alcohol, especially with a decent experience of drinking alcohol. Persistent swelling of the face is a fairly serious sign of impairment of the functional capabilities of the body, disorders of vital processes and systems. Alcoholic damage to the heart muscle, renal parenchyma, damage to the liver structure, up to the effects of cirrhosis or toxic hepatitis, development of heart failure, increased blood pressure on the background of vascular sclerosis - this is not a complete list of the causes that cause the appearance of significant swelling of the face in chronic alcoholics.

People overly fond of alcoholic beverages can be recognized immediately by their characteristic appearance: increased capillary dilation, blurred and puffiness on the face, visible enlargement of the nose. This process is reversible, but this requires a sufficient period of time and, most importantly, a complete and irrevocable rejection of alcoholic beverages in any form.

Why does a hangover face swell?

The hangover syndrome is not the most pleasant morning state. It comes, as a rule, after drinking alcohol the night before. Among other manifestations of vegetative disorders in a state of hangover in most cases there is swelling of the face of varying intensity.

Everyone knows that drinking alcohol causes dehydration. However, this is not due to a lack of fluid in general, but due to its improper imbalance in the body: kidney damage with ethyl alcohol creates a certain stressful situation for them, which impairs their normal excretory function and causes non-excreted fluid to accumulate in body tissues, in particular, on the face. The violation of the acid-base balance, electrolyte and water metabolism also plays a role, especially if the intake of alcoholic beverages is adjacent to the consumption of spicy, salty and fatty foods.

If the hangover syndrome is not permanent, the swelling of the face disappears on its own within 2-3 days.

When does the face swell during pregnancy?

During the period of childbearing in a pregnant woman, a change in the hormonal balance occurs, water-salt metabolism is rebuilt, and the need for additional fluid increases, as the body now needs a much larger volume of blood than before, and it should be less viscous. For this, as well as for many other reasons, edema is inherent in most pregnant women.

A slight swelling of the face, especially in the second half of pregnancy, is quite a physiological condition. However, it is always better to be safe, especially in such an “interesting” position, and to consult with your gynecologist. You may have to pass some tests to rule out diseases of the kidneys, the cardiovascular system, and liver pathologies, which can begin at almost any time.

During pregnancy, the load on organs and systems increases significantly, so it is extremely important to diagnose the problem in time and solve it, preventing negative effects on the body of the future mother and the developing fetus.

When does a face swell?

If the face is very swollen, it is necessary, first of all, to determine the root cause of this condition. Perhaps you should change your lifestyle, visit a doctor, undergo appropriate examinations. In any case, this problem requires a serious attitude, as the causes of facial swelling can be not only unhealthy diet, drinking alcohol and frequent sunbathing on the beach - it can be quite serious pathological conditions, and without the help of a specialist is not necessary.

Violations of cardiac activity are manifested by difficulty in breathing, pain in the heart and behind the sternum, but one of the symptoms may be significant swelling of the face.

Impaired blood circulation also causes puffiness and pastoznost facial area and signals a malfunction in the vascular system.

Pathology of the urinary system provokes the appearance of fairly strong characteristic edema mainly in the eye area.

An allergic reaction is characterized by a rapid, and sometimes instantaneous increase in symptoms, the face swells almost “before the eyes”.

All these conditions can not do without the attention of the doctor, as they have a greater likelihood of adverse course and the development of complications.

When do the lips swell on the face?

If the face has not changed its appearance, but the lips seem to be swollen, you can suspect any independent disease of the lips, in particular, various manifestations of cheilitis (inflammation of the lips).

Cheilitis is an inflammation of the lips of an eczematous or allergic nature, provoked by taking all sorts of food additives, dyes, chemicals, and also by external factors: trauma, too dry or frosty air, mechanical damage to the lips. In addition to edema, cheilitis may be accompanied by itching, burning sensation, peeling of the skin, the appearance of microcracks.

Allergic reaction in the form of angioedema is triggered by various kinds of allergens: food, infectious, drug.

Also, lip swelling may be associated with the presence of hypersensitivity to a decrease in ambient temperature, pathology of the digestive system and organs of excretion, liver diseases, disorders of the vegetative and vascular systems. Violations of the local function of lymph and blood flow often contribute to the swelling of the lips.

If the face is swollen?

Partial swelling of the face can be due to many reasons:

• traumatic lesion of a part of the face with soft tissue damage as a result of a blow or injury from a fall;
• swelling due to an insect bite (tick, bee, wasp, etc.);
• the result of local inflammatory processes in adjacent organs (sinusitis, otitis media, conjunctivitis, pathological processes of the teeth and gums), as well as purulent diseases of the skin of the face (furuncles, carbuncles, etc.);
• angioedema (allergic reaction, often affects the lower half of the face and neck);
• persistent erythema, which causes swelling of the upper part of the face;
• vascular and ischemic disorders.

What kind of pathology led to swelling of half of the face, can be said only on the basis of history, visual examination and some laboratory tests. Undoubtedly, the cause of the violation of blood and lymph circulation can be confirmed only by a qualified specialist who diagnoses a particular disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

When does the right side of the face swell?

If the right side of the face is swollen, this may be due to numerous problems that need to be diagnosed and identified:

• dental problems with teeth and gums (periodontitis, flux, the postoperative period after the removal of a tooth or cyst, abscess);
• neuralgia and neuritis of the facial and trigeminal nerve, accompanied by pain and asymmetry of the face;
• vascular pathologies, ischemia of some facial tissues associated with impaired blood supply to certain areas;
• insect bites, injuries, bruises, the presence of other external factors;
• angioedema half face;
• development of right-sided otitis or conjunctivitis, accompanied by pain in the ear and tearing;
• right-sided sinusitis or sinusitis, accompanied by a runny nose or nasal congestion;
• skin diseases (dermatitis, furunculosis lesions, folliculitis) begin with the appearance of a rash or a lumpy, painful protrusion, later the swelling goes to healthy tissues.

When does the left side of the face swell?

Unilateral puffiness is manifested by visible swelling of one half of the face in the normal state of the opposite side.

The left side of the face is capable of swelling for exactly the same reasons as the right. The main causes may be dental, neurological, otorhinolaryngological problems that are detected only during a series of additional studies.

Left-side facial swelling can be triggered by an inflammatory process on the left side of the head, or an allergic manifestation of the body's individual sensitivity. Diseases of the vascular system (thrombophlebitis, vascular ischemia), disorders of lymph circulation (lymphangitis, filariasis) contribute to significant fluid retention in the tissues of the lesion.

Unilateral facial swelling may manifest as a result of pathological processes in the central nervous system, affecting the nerve vasomotor fibers unilaterally. A disease such as facial paralysis is also accompanied by decreased lymphatic drainage and impaired systemic blood flow on the affected side.

If after a sunbed the face has swelled up?

A number of reasons may cause swelling of the face after a tanning bed or sunbathing on the beach:

• allergic reaction to ultraviolet radiation, or sunscreen cosmetics (ointments, creams, oil for tanning), especially if you use them for the first time. Usually, such a reaction is accompanied by visible redness, puffiness of the face and skin itchiness, up to the fulminant total edema of the body;
• increased blood pressure due to excessive tanning. At the same time, there is a significant swelling of the face as a result of an increased and sharp rush of blood to the head, which may be accompanied by headache and dizziness;
• banal sunburn also causes swelling of tissues. In particular, prolonged sunbathing on the beach, especially during the so-called "active sun", is extremely unfavorable for the water balance of the skin. Any burn, domestic or solar, provokes accumulation of fluid in the affected tissues. This process is a kind of reaction of the body to local damage.

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If the child's face is swollen?

If a child’s face is swollen, first of all it is necessary to exclude renal pathology and disorders of the excretory system: most often, this is associated with edema of different degrees in preschool children. Inflammatory processes (pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis), hereditary and congenital defects of the urinary system structure manifest themselves in the form of excessive fluid accumulation in the facial tissues. However, against the background of edema, other characteristic symptoms should be present: pain in the kidney area, hematuria, urinary disorders, etc. Such edema can have different intensity and manifest in a child mainly in the morning after waking up.

The face in children may swell with significant loss of protein due to various pathological conditions, with liver diseases.

The allergic nature of the swelling on the face of a child is characterized by virtually instantaneous development, the appearance of a feeling of heat, itching, respiratory functions and impairment of consciousness are possible: these symptoms are associated with damage to the vascular wall and an increase in permeability in response to an allergen in a sensitive children's body. Help in this state should be prompt.

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How to get rid of a swollen face?

To To effectively get rid of a swollen face, you need to know what exactly led to this state.

If the puffiness was provoked by stressful situations, lack of sleep, overwork, then the answer is simple - you just need a little rest, sleep, and everything will return to normal.

If you use nightly nourishing cosmetics, then you need to apply it on the skin no later than 3 hours before sleep, otherwise moisture from the cream will not have time to be distributed and will remain in the surface tissues until the morning.

The morning swelling of the face is perfectly removed by ice cubes from decoctions of chamomile, sage, mint: they just need to wipe the face.

An excellent means to improve microcirculation in the tissues of the face is manual therapy, or simply massage. You do not have to go to the salon, you can do it yourself, kneading, pinching and patting the skin, thereby activating blood flow.

By the way, salon procedures can also help in the fight against edema: various masks, special massages, lymphatic drainage - each procedure is selected individually.

It is very important to get rid of a swollen face to maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat right without overeating and controlling the amount of salt in food. Equally important is the water balance in the body. However, remember that if all the above recommendations do not bring effect for a long time, you still need to consult a doctor to permanently get rid of such an unpleasant problem as a swollen face.